Self-feeding thrasher and separator



(No Model.) 2 Sheebs-Sheet 2 T. J. & N. H BEEBE. SELF FEEDING THRASHERAND SEPARATOR.

No. 546,992. Patented Oct. 1,1895.

ANDREW a GRAHAM.PnorcumuwAsMlNmN DC rrrcni THOMAS J. BEEBE AND NORMAN H.BEEBE, OF ANTHONY, KANSAS.

SELF=FEEDING THRASHER AND SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 546,992, dated October1, 1895.

Application filed January 23, 1895. Serial No. 535,932- (No modeL) Towhom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS J. BEEBE and NORMAN H. BEEBE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Anthony, in the county of Harper andState of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Self-Feeding Thrasherand Separator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to self feeding thrashers and separators; and ithas for its object to provide a new and useful machine of this characterthat shall provide simple and positive means for the complete feeding,thrashing, and separation of the grain without the use of separate andindependent attachments, and particularly the use of a separate andindependent band cutter and feeder, such as is ordinarily employed inconnection with grain-thrashing machines.

To this end the main and primary object of the presentinvention is toconsolidate in a single machine the separate steps of feeding,thrashing, and separating grain, and in the accomplishment of thisresult to provide a simple and easily-operated mechanism that willinsure the results sought to be attained without the use of thedestructive and power-consuming vibratory devices common to otherthrashing-machines.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invcntion is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructedin accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central verticallongitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview on the line to w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a detail in perspective ofone of the inverted V-shaped bars of the strawrack. Fig. 5 is a similarView of one of the revolving agitator-shafts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the machine-casingthat is adapted to be supported for travel over the ground on front andrear Wheeled axles (not shown) in the usual way. The machine-casing 1 isof a suitable size to accommodate therein the feeding, thrashing, andseparating devices employed, and arranged to rotate within one end ofthecasing is the thrashing-cylinder 2. The thrashing-cylinder 2 is arrangedtransversely within the casing and is mounted on the transversecylinder-shaft 3, which carries at one end outside of the casing abelt-pulley 4, that receives one portion of a crossed belt 5, whichprovides for transmitting motion to other parts of the machine, to bepresently referred to. This said casing 1, within which the saidcylinder 2 is arranged, is provided at the end adjacent to the cylinderwith a vertical end wall 35 and with a short inclined top wall 36, whichextends in an upward direction toward the rear end of the casing fromthe upper end of the wall 35, and the function of the walls 35 and 36 asa part of the thrashing-machine will be hereinafter more particularlyreferred to.

The thrashing-cylinder 2 essentially consists of the oppositecylinder-heads 6 and a series of parallel spaced tooth-bars 7,connecting the heads 6 at their peripheries and carrying a series ofthrashing spikes or teeth 8, which Work in conjunction with the concavedspikes 9 of the concave grating 10. The concave grating 10 is of theusual curved shape; but in the present invention is disposed verticallybetween the end wall of the casing and one side of the cylinder 2 and issupported with its upper end resting against the under side of theinclined top wall 36, intermediate of the opposite ends of said topwall. The concave grating 10 has fitted in the concavity thereof aseries of the spikes 9 to provide for a thorough thrashing of the grainas it is caused to pass between the thrashingcylinder and the concavegrating by the rotation of the cylinder in the direction indicated bythe arrow, and the disposition of said concave grating providestherebetween and the end wall 35 of the casing a grain-space 11, throughwhich falls the loose grain that is worked through the grain openings orslots in the concave grating during the thrashing operation.

The grain is fed to the upper side of the thrashing-cylinder 2 by meansof an endless feed apron or carrier 12. The endless feed apron orcarrier 12 is arranged longitudinally and at an angle within the toppart of the casing 1, directly under a longitudinally-disposed topfeed-opening 13, formed in the top of the casing 1. The endlessfeedapron or carrier is of any suitable construction. and is arranged topass over the oppositely-located apron-rollers 14, mounted on theroller-shafts 15, journaled transversely within the casing 1,

and the front roller-shaft 15, adjacent to the tbrushing-cylinder, hasmounted on one end thereof outside of the casing a gear-wheel 16, whichmeshes with an adjacent gear-wheel17, mounted on one end of theband-cutter shaft 18, which also carries at the same end a beltwheel1.), over which passes the crossed belt 5 to provide for transmittingmotion to the band-cutter shaft and also to the feed apron or carrier.At this point it is to be noted that the short inclined top wall 36 ofthecasing is located at one end of the top feed-opening 13 and projectsover the front end portion ofthe feed apron or carrier 12, therebyforming a convergent feed-throat between the said front end portion ofthe apron or carrier 12 and the rear end portion of the inclined topwall 36, through which convergent feed-throat the loosened bundle ofgrain is fed on top of the thrashingcylinder 2.

The band-cutter shaft 18 is journaledtransversely within the casing 1 atthe front end of the top feed-opening 13, directly over the front end ofthe apron or carrier 12, within the convergent or contractedfeed-throatbetween the latter and the vwall 36, and said shaft isprovided with a series of alternate oppositely-disposed curved knives orcutters 19, that enter into the bundles of grain car ried by the apronor carrier 12 and sever the bands thereof, whileat the same time evenlyspreading the grain out before it is delivered by the apron or carrier12 onto the, thrash,- ing-cylinder 2. Arrangedfbetween the opposite endportions of the endless feed apron or carrier 12 is an apron-platform20, that supports the upper portion of thetapron or carrier 12 as itcarries the bundles of grain to the band-cutter and thence to thethrashing-cylinder. The said apron-platform 20 is provided at the endnearest the thrashing-cylinder and directly adjacent to theband-cutterwith a series of grain-openings 21, that provide for aprimary separation of loose grain from the straw as it is shaken orloosened therefrom by the action of the band-cutter,andsuch.

loose grain falls through the said grain-openings into the space belowthe said feed apron,

or carrier. The said apron-platform 20therefore serves the importantfunctions of supporting the upper portion of the feed apron or carrierfor providing for a primary separation of loose grain from the bundlesof straw as it is shaken therefrom by the bandcutters, and alsopractically formsa part of the inclosing top of the machinecasing, aswill be readily noted.

The thrashed grain that passes out from between the cylinder2 and theconcave grating 10 is delivered onto the horizontal straw-rack 22,extending the entire length of the machine-casing. The horizontalstraw-rack 22 consists of a series of parallel inverted V- shapedrack-bars 23, the inner ends of which bars abut against the concave atits lower end. The inverted V-shaped rack-bars 23 form a rack or bed forthe support of the thrashed. grain, so. that the straw can be agitatedand worked out through the rear end of the casing, while at the sametime allowing the loose grain to separate from the straw. The saidrack-bars are provided in both sides throughout their entire lengthswith grain slots or openings 24, that allow the loose grain to freelypass therethrough and therefore below the straw-rack onto ahorizontally-arranged canvas grain-carrier 25. The canvas grain-carrier25 is,arranged under and parallel with the straw-rack 22 and extendsfrom the front end of the casing below the grainspacelll to anintermediate point, where it is designed to deliver the grain to acleaning device 26, Of any ordinary construction, such as is employed inconnection with ordinary thrashing-machines.

The parallel inverted V-shaped rack-bars 23, by reason of their specificshape, prevent the lodgrnent of grain, and said bars are spaced apart toform therebetween lingerspaces 27,,througl1 which work theagitatorfingers 28, and in connection with these agitator-.tingersitwillbe noted that the sloping sides of the rack-bars cause the short strawsto slide down to the agitator-fingers 28, which then catch suchshortstraws and pass the same through and out of the machine.

The agitator-fingers 28, that work through the slots 27 between therack-bars, are substantially segmentalin shape and are providedat oneend with attaching-collars 29, thatare adjustably fitted on thetransverse agitator-shafts 30 by means of set-screws 31. Theagitator-shafts 30are arranged parallel with each-other directly underthe straw-rack 22, and the series of these shafts extend from one end ofsaid rack to the other. Each agitator-shaft 30 carries a longitudinalseries of fingers 28, which work between each pair of the rack-bars 23,and all of said agitator-Shafts are j ournaled in suitable bearings atopposite sides of the machine-casing and are provided at one endwith thecrank-arms 32, to all of which crank-arms is pivotally connected asingle connecting bar or pitman 33, which provides forthesimultaneousrotation of all of said, agitator-shafts, and thereforefor the simultaneousand even rotation of all of the parallel sets ofagitator-fingers 28.

One of the agitator-shafts 30.has fitted on the end opposite itsicrank32 a belt-wheel 34, that receives a suitable belt to provide fortransmitting motion to all of the agitatorshafts, as will be easilyunderstood. As said agitator-shafts revolve, the agitator-fingerscarried thereby are turned up through the spaces between the, bars23,and as said fingers are curved in a direction opposite to that in whichthey revolve thev same toss up and drop the straw at each revolution, atthe same time carrying it toward the rear of the machine. This rapid,violent, and continued agitation of the straw effects a perfectseparation of the grain from the straw, and at this point it will benoted that an undue accumulation of straw in the machine is renderedimpossible, as the lower portion of the feed apron or carrier 12 alsotravels in a direction toward the rear end of the machine, and thereforeassists the fingers 28 in discharging the straw from the machine, aswill be readily understood.

From the above it is thought that the construction, operation, and manyadvantages of the hereindescribed self-feedin g thrasher and separatorwill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will beunderstood that changes in the form, proportion, and the minor detailsof construction may be resorted to without departing from the principleor sacrificing any of the advantages of this in- Vention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the casingprovided with a longitudinally disposed top feed opening, a stationaryapron platform fitted longitudinally within the top part of the casingdirectly under the top feed opening and provided at a point near one endwith a series of grain openings for the fall of loose grain, a rotaryband cutter mounted within the casing at one end of its top opening anddirectly adjacent to the grain openings in the apron platform to assistin shaking or loosening the grain from the straw, so that it will passdirectly through said grain openings, a feed apron or carrier workingover said platform, the thrashing device arranged below and beyond oneend of said apron or carrier, the horizontal straw rack and a graincarrier arranged below the straw rack, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the casingprovided with a top feed opening, a vertical end wall, and a shortinclined top wall disposed at one end of the top feed opening, avertically disposed concave grating spaced from the vertical end wall ofthe casing and supported with its upper end resting against the underside of the inclined top wall, the disposition of the grating formingbetween the same and the vertical end wall of the casing a grain space,a feed apron arranged under the top opening of the casing above theplane of the cylinder and extended under one end of said inclined topwall to form therewith a convergent or contracted feed throat, a rotaryband cutter mounted in the feed throat between said apron and theinclined top wall, a horizontal stationary straw rack arranged below thecylinder and consisting of a series of parallel hollow perforate V-shaped bars spaced apart and having their inner ends abutting againstone side of the concave at its extreme lower end, and a series ofrevolving fingers arranged to work in the spaces between the hollow rackbars, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J, BEEBE. NORMAN H. BEEBE. Witnesses:

NEY TITUS, ROBT. H. BEEBE.

